A typical computer system includes a data storage system (or subsystem) having one or more disk drives. Some data storage systems allow a user to install or remove a disk drive in a relatively quick manner without handling any cables or screws. FIG. 1 shows a conventional data storage system 20 which has relatively quick disk drive installation and removal capabilities. The data storage system 20 includes a disk drive assembly 22 and a main assembly 24. The disk drive assembly 22 includes a housing 26, a disk drive 28, a daughter card 30 and a lever 32. The main assembly 24 includes a support structure 34 that defines (i) an opening 36 through which the disk drive assembly 22 enters and exits the housing 34, and (ii) a back end 38. The main assembly 24 further includes a connector 40 which mounts to the back end 38 of the support structure 34, and a post 44 (e.g., a metallic bar) that fastens to a side or edge of the support structure opening 36.
A user can install the disk drive assembly 22 into the main assembly 24, or remove the disk drive assembly 22 from the main assembly 24, by operating the lever 32 and sliding the disk drive assembly housing 26 through the opening 36 of the main assembly support structure 34. The housing 26 includes guides 46, 48 which facilitate motion of the housing 26 within the support structure 34. In particular, the guides 46 align with corresponding guides within the support structure 34 (corresponding guides not shown) to properly align the disk drive assembly 22 within the support structure 34. Furthermore, the guide 48 (and guides 46 to some extent) reduces friction between surfaces of the disk drive assembly housing 26 and the support structure 34.
When the disk drive assembly 22 is properly installed within the main assembly 24, a connecting portion 50 of the daughter card 30 mates with the slot 42 of the connector 40. Contacts along the connecting portion 50 make electrical contact with corresponding contacts within the connector 40. In this mated position, the disk drive assembly 22 is capable of receiving power and communicating with other devices (e.g., a processor) through the connector 40 in order to perform data storage and retrieval operations. The daughter card 30 operates as an interface between the other devices and the disk drive 28. Further details of how the disk drive assembly 22 installs into the main assembly 24 and removes from the main assembly 24 will now be provided with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lever 32 fastens to the housing 26 via hardware 52 which allows the lever 32 to pivot around a horizontally-oriented pivot axis 54. The lever 32 has a left side and a right side (collectively, sides 62) through which the hardware 52 is mounted. Each side 62 includes a large finger 56 that defines, in combination with a lower edge 60 of the lever 32, a groove 58 at the bottom of the lever 32.
To install the disk drive assembly 22 into the main assembly 24, the user initially positions the lever 32 away from the housing as shown in FIG. 2A. The user then slides the disk drive assembly 22 into the main assembly support structure 34 until the post 44 fits within the groove 58 on each side 62 of the lever 32. The user then pushes on the lever 32 such that the lever 32 rotates about the pivot axis 54 toward the housing 26. As the user pushes on the lever 32, the large fingers 56 of the lever 32 grab the post 44 thus enabling the lever 32 to provide leverage to move the housing 26 further into the support structure 34. Such movement causes the connecting portion 50 of the daughter card 30 to properly mate with the connector 40 in a controlled and consistent manner.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lever 32 includes a pinch-type latch mechanism 64 having a pair of spring-loaded pinch members 66. Each pinch member 66 includes a tapered tabbed end 72 (see FIG. 2A). The tapered tabbed ends 72 align with an opening 70 defined by the housing 26, and are narrower toward the opening 70. As such, when the user pushes the lever 32 toward to the housing 26 to install the disk drive assembly 22 within the main assembly 24, the tapered tabbed ends 72 pass through the opening 70. That is, friction from the housing 26 (i.e., the sides of the opening 70) pushes the ends 72 toward each other to compress a small spring (not shown) which is disposed between the pinch members 66 until the ends 72 pass through the opening 70. Then, the tapered tabbed ends 72 spring back to lock the lever 32 to the housing 26, as shown in FIG. 2B.
In FIG. 2B, the disk drive assembly 22 is secured to the main assembly 24. That is, lever 32 is locked to the housing 26 and is now prevented from pivoting around the pivot axis 54. Furthermore, the large fingers 56 of the lever 32 extend against the post 44 preventing the disk drive assembly 22 from inadvertently disconnecting from the main assembly 24 (e.g., due to vibration).
The lever 32 further includes an area 68 (see FIG. 1) which is capable of supporting a light emitting diode (LED) assembly (not shown) to provide operation information to the user when the disk drive assembly 22 is installed and in operation.
To remove the disk drive assembly 22 from the main assembly 24, the user grabs the pinch members 66 of the pinch-type latch mechanism 64 (e.g., using a thumb and forefinger), squeezes (or pinches) the pinch members 66 together along an axis 67 that is horizontal and parallel to the pivot axis 54, and pulls the lever 32 away from the housing 26. In response to the user""s movements, the tapered tabbed ends 72 of the pinch members 66 move toward each other enabling the tabbed ends 72 to pass through the opening 70, and enabling the lever 32 to pivot away from the housing 26 about the pivot axis (see again FIG. 2A). As the lever 32 pivots away from the housing 26, the edge 60 of the lever pushes against the post 44 to provide leverage that moves the disk drive assembly 22 away from back end 38 of the support structure 34 in a controlled and consistent manner. Accordingly, the portion 50 of the daughter card 30 disconnects from the slot 42 of the connector 40, and the disk drive assembly 22 slides out of the main assembly 24. The user then lifts the disk drive assembly 22 away from the main assembly 24 to complete the removal process.
It should be understood that the above-described operation of the lever 32 requires the user to possess considerable hand and wrist strength and coordination. In particular, the user must apply force in three directions: in two opposite directions along the horizontal axis 67 by squeezing the pinch member 66 to disengage the latch mechanism 64 from the housing 26, and in an outward direction to pivot the lever 32 away from the housing 26.
In some maintenance situations, the user may wish to install or remove several disk drive assemblies 22 in a row (e.g., into or out of one or more rows or columns of side-by-side main assemblies 24). In a situation in which multiple disk drive assemblies 22 must be removed, the user can squeeze and pull on the latch mechanisms 64 of each disk drive assembly 22 until that disk drive assembly 22 disconnects from the connector 40 of the corresponding main assembly 24, and then partially slide that disk drive assembly 22 through the main assembly 36 without fully removing that disk drive assembly 22 from the main assembly 24. Once the user has disconnected each disk drive assembly 22 in this manner, the user can then remove the disk drive assemblies 22 by sliding each disk drive assembly 22 fully out of its corresponding main assembly 24.
Unfortunately, there are drawbacks to conventional data storage systems that use disk drive assemblies with levers having spring-loaded, pinch-type latch mechanisms. For example, such a latch mechanism is complex and costly to manufacture. In particular, the pinch-type latch mechanism includes multiple moving parts (e.g., tabbed pinch members, a small spring, etc.) which must be properly molded, positioned and fastened together to operate correctly. Often, such assembly, and perhaps subsequent repair, requires special equipment and tools which increase the cost of manufacturing and servicing the pinch-type latch mechanism.
Additionally, the conventional pinch-type latch mechanism is difficult and time consuming to operate. In particular, to remove the disk drive assembly from a main assembly of the data storage system, the user is required to provide an unnatural positioning of the hand, and an uncomfortable twisting or squeezing motion by fingers of the hand. That is, the user must (i) grab a pair of pinch members on a lever that pivots around a horizontal pivot axis of the disk drive assembly, (ii) squeeze the pinch members toward each other in opposite horizontal directions such that tabbed ends of the pinch members clear an opening in the disk drive assembly housing (i.e., such that the lever disengages from the housing), and (iii) pull the lever away from the housing such that the lever pivots around the horizontal pivot axis. Often, the user must perform these maneuvers using only a thumb and forefinger to grip the pinch members. Accordingly, such movements generally require the user to possess considerable strength and dexterity skills (e.g., hand and wrist strength and coordination) in order to operate the lever properly.
In contrast to the above-described conventional pinch-type latch mechanism, the present invention is directed to latching techniques that respond to more ergonomically pleasing user movements, and that are well-suited for maintaining low manufacturing costs.
One arrangement of the invention is directed to a disk drive assembly having a housing, a disk drive attached to the housing, and a lever that secures the housing to and releases the housing from a main assembly. The lever includes a frame that is pivotably coupled to the housing at a pivot point that defines a pivot axis. The lever further includes a latch that is coupled to the frame. The latch selectively engages with the housing and disengages from the housing. The latch includes an actuation portion that requires movement in a direction along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis to disengage the latch from the housing. Accordingly, if the pivot axis is horizontally-oriented, a user can move the actuation portion in a substantially vertical direction (e.g., downward) in an ergonomically convenient manner to disengage the latch from the housing.
In one arrangement, the actuation portion requires movement in a direction (e.g., downward, or downward and slightly outward) towards the pivot axis to disengage the latch from the housing. Accordingly, if the pivot axis is disposed along a lower edge of the disk drive assembly, the user can simply pull the actuation portion in a substantially downward direction using any number of fingers to disengage the latch from the housing and to move the lever away from the housing. Such movement is relatively simple and requires little concentration.
In one arrangement, the actuation portion requires movement in substantially a single direction relative to the frame to disengage the latch from the housing. For example, the actuation portion can require the user to provide a downward de-latching motion, or a downward and slightly outward de-latching motion. This arrangement requires less dexterity (e.g., hand and wrist strength and coordination) than conventional spring-loaded, pinch-type latch mechanisms that require movement in multiple directions (e.g., moving pinch-type members toward each other) to disengage the pinch-type latch mechanism from a housing.
In one arrangement, the actuation portion includes a paddle that is movable relative to the frame in response to an actuation force, and an inner portion that extends between the paddle and an attachment point of the frame. The inner portion distorts when the paddle moves in response to the actuation force. Additionally, the inner portion includes a ridge (e.g., provided by a tab) which applies friction against a portion of the housing when the latch engages with the housing. This arrangement requires less individually separated parts than a conventional spring-loaded pinch-type latch mechanism which has multiple pinch-type members and a small spring. Accordingly, a lever that uses this arrangement of the invention is generally simpler and less costly to manufacture than a lever that uses the above-described conventional spring-loaded pinch-type latch mechanism.
In one arrangement, the frame defines a frame opening, and the actuation portion includes a paddle that (i) is movable relative to the frame in response to an actuation force, and (ii) extends through the frame opening. The actuation portion further includes a curved inner portion that extends from the frame and rigidly attaches with the paddle. The use of such a curved inner portion alleviates the need for a small spring as in conventional spring-loaded pinch-type latch mechanisms thus enabling this arrangement to be simpler and less expensive to assemble than arrangements that use conventional spring-loaded, pinch-type latch mechanisms.
In one arrangement, the frame defines a frame opening, and the actuation portion is a solid contiguous material that (i) rigidly attaches to the frame, (ii) extends from the frame through the frame opening and (iii) is movable relative to the frame in response to an actuation force. Accordingly, the latch requires no individually separated parts or components (e.g., pinch-type members, springs, etc.) which could otherwise increase the operating complexity and manufacturing cost of the lever and the disk drive assembly.
In one arrangement, the frame includes multiple support tabs adjacent the frame opening to prevent distortion of the actuation portion when the latch moves to engage with the housing and disengage from the housing. This arrangement provides safeguards against damage due to stresses on the actuation portion during normal operation (e.g., installation or removal of the disk drive assembly).
Another arrangement of the invention is directed to a data storage system that includes a main assembly and a disk drive assembly. The main assembly has a supporting structure and a connector fastened to the supporting structure. The disk drive assembly includes a housing, a disk drive attached to the housing, and a lever that secures the housing to and releases the housing from a main assembly to enable the disk drive to respectively connect to and disconnect from the connector of the main assembly. The lever includes a frame pivotably coupled to the housing at a pivot point that defines a pivot axis, and a latch coupled to the frame. The latch selectively engages with the housing and disengages from the housing. The latch has an actuation portion that requires movement in a direction along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis to disengage the latch from the housing.
The features of the invention, as described above, may be employed in data storage systems and other computer-related components such as those manufactured by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass.